Battle of Streatlam

The Battle of Streatlam (120 AD) was a battle fought between the Iceni tribe and the Roman Empire. A larger Roman army was destroyed by the Iceni in a bloody battle, and the Romans were routed. This forced Emperor Hadrian to gather a large army of Roman troops from as far east as Syria and as far west as Numidia and the Balearic Isles to fight the Iceni.

Background
The previous battle of Osmotherly saw a small Roman force be annihilated by the Iceni tribe in an ambush, with no Romans escaping the destruction of the force. The Romans were angered by this defeat, and Governor Quintus Pompeius Falco dispatched Quintinus Roscius with 1,078 troops to crush the rebellion once and for all. However, Frangean Glas and 924 Iceni warriors prepared to meet the Romans, with many brave tribesmen from several villages across England] joining the [[Britons to fight against the Roman invaders. The Roman army consisted of hastati, while the Iceni consisted of warriors armed with swords and shields, a few units of slingers, and some veteran cavalry. The Iceni had less troops, but their warriors were firm in their convictions, and the Romans were unmotivated, with some being afraid of the Iceni (there was the myth that the Iceni drank blood and ate their dead).

Battle
The large Roman army had the advantage of having the high ground, while the Iceni had a strong line of swordsmen at the front and slingers behind them; their cavalry were on both flanks. The Romans attacked the Iceni, but the Iceni managed to hold off the Roman troops. The Roman line was also thicker than the Iceni, letting Iceni flank units charge around the Roman flank and attack the Romans from the side. This turned the battle in the favor of the Iceni, who were victorious over the Romans due to their flanking tactics. The Roman army began to retreat, with even its general running for his life. The Iceni chose to continue the battle, chasing down the fleeing Romans and cutting down most of them. Frangean and his cavalry rode down the fleeing Romans like grass, and the Roman army was annihilated. Only 161 Romans survived the battle, only one-ninth of the Roman army.

Aftermath
Streatlam was a crushing defeat for the Romans, as their army was annihilated. The Iceni proved to be a major threat to the Roman Empire's position in Britannia, a problem that Emperor Hadrian was attempting to solve with his idea of "Hadrian's Wall". In response to this embarrassment, he dispatched a large army of armored legionnaries, Numidian light cavalry, and Balearic slingers, among other units, to crush the Iceni and pacify Britannia. The Battle of Wisbech would crush the Iceni tribe's rebellion instantly.